Rotary engine adaptable as motor, pump, or meter



I. R. KEMP. ROTARY ENGINE ADAPT/@BLE As MoToR, PUMP, 0R METER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24| |919. 1,407,659, Patented Feb. 2l, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

w @M @w u @dL/1 Q/wm l. R. KEMP. l ROTARY ENGINE ADAPTABLE AS MOTOR, PUMP, OR METER. APPLcATloN FILED 1AN.24, 1919.

1,407,659, patented Feb. 1922.

5 SHEET ET 2.

J. R.'KEMP.

' ROTARY ENGINE ADAPTABLE AS MDTOR', PUMP, 0R METER.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 24, IQIQ.

1,407,659, patmea Feb. 1922.

5 sIIEETs- T s.

J. R. KEMP. ROTARY ENGINE ADAPTABLE AS MOTOR, PUMP, 0R METER.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 24| 1919.

Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

1. R. KEMP.

i ROTARY ENGTNEADAPTABLE AS MOTOR, PUMP, 0R METER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24| |919.

1,40'7,f559v Patented Feb. 21 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5- %QMM @www @W2/W JAMES REGINALD-KEMP, OF NEWBURY, ENGLAND.

Met/,esa

Specification of Letterslatent.

Patented Feb. 2i, i922.

Application filed January 24, :1919. Serial No. 272,881.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

lle it known that l, JAMES RnoiNALn KEMP, a 'subject 'of the King of Great Britain, and fa resident of @althurst, VVoodhay, Newbury, Berkshire, England., have invented an improved Rotary Engine Adaptable as Motor, Pump, or Meter, of which the following is the specification.

This invention relates to a novel construction and arrangement of rotary engine which is 4capable ot being employed as a motor, a pump. a blower or a meter. The rotary engine constructed according to this invention has a novel method or principle of operation oi the cylinders, the pistons, and the shaft with relationto each other.

l may provide a'pairV of cylinders having their axes parallel. The cylinders are preferably formed integrally or in one casting. Each cylinderl has a vdouble ended piston fitted and adapted to reciprocate in its cylinder.V The two double acting' pistons are adapted to move together or simultaneously in their respective cylinders. Each ot the said pistons may be formed in two portions for convenience of assemblyv and each piston or pair of pistons is mounted upon a guide plate. rEhe said guide plate is rectangular in any cross section and it may be conveniently formed in two portions bolted together.

Formed integrally with the lsaid sha-tt are wing. plates of the same or approximately the same thickness as the diameter of the shaft. rfhe said wing plates are preferably rectangular in section and are of equal length. The shatt wings or blocks are preferably of the ame width. rllhe wing plate may be formed hollow in order that there shall be no compression and expansion of the air in the ends Voru clearance spaces of the guide plate. l/Vhen used as an internal combustion engine the wing plates are preferably closed and serve as pumps for delivering air or mixture to the working cylinders.

VThe said guide plates have fitted within saine the said shaft and wing plates.

Clearance spaces are provided at each end ot the guide plates to permit the pistons to reciprocate upon the shaft wing plates transversely, these spaces being preferably rather greater than the distance between the centres Vot rotation ot the shaft and thecasing.

Each side wall of the casting between the two cylinders is provided with a rim or flange which can be integrally'formed'with the cylinder casting, but the rim is preferably forined as a separatesleeve bolted to the cylinders, which sleeves constitute the bearings of the cylinders. These bearings are carried on standards or vertical plates secured to or integrally formed with the base plate.

Mounted in the sameplates or standards are other bearings eccentrically arranged to and within the lirst mentioned bearings, and these bearings carry the shaft of the engine which extends through the said cylinders, the outer bearings surrounding the inner.

Constructed Jfor use as an internal combustion engine each outer end ot the cylinders is formed with a port providingcommunication between the combustion chambers at each end of the pair of cylinders so that the,

clearance spaces at the end of each cylinder form one combustion and compression chamber communicatingthrough the said port.

0n the end of each pair ot cylinders having a common combustion chamber, I provide a rotary valve as afterward described, the one valve serving as an induction or inlet valve, and also as 4an exhaust valve.

The pair of cylinders, the contained pistons, and the shaft with its wing plates, all rotate together in the same direction and at the same speed, and the cylinders being mounted eccentrically with respect to the shaft causes the reciprocation of the pistons within the cylinders and upon the wing plates within the pistons, the degree of movement being determined by the eccentricity of the casing relatively to the rotating shaft.

The packing rings provided for each end of each piston may be conveniently fitted in grooves formed in the cylinder walls to reduce the overall length of cylinders and pistons.

llfhether the engine be employed as a motor or as a pump, in order to provide against want'ot balance, two, three, or more such pairs of cylinders with pistons adapted t0 reciprocate therein may be fitted on one shaft. lf two such pairs of cylinders are fitted, the cylinders may be oppositely arranged. lt three such pairs of cylinders are iitted on one shaft they will be arranged at 120 degrees.

It will be understood that although the engine is shown inthe accompanying drawings, which are to a certain extent diagrammatic, adapted -l'or operation as an internal combustion engine it may be by making the two pistons therein, and the other through a planeV coincident with the axes respectively of the rotating shaft and of the drums or'discs carrying the cylinders.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation through the pair of cylinders at a right angle to that shown in Fig. l, and transversely to the rotatingl shaft. Y

Fig. 3is an end elevation of the engine.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation similar to that `in Fig. 2, but with all the pistons at midstroke.

F ig5 is a diagrammatic plan of the en- Oine.

a A, A1, are the two cylinders preferably formed in one casting with cooling ribs A2 on the exterior of same. The axes of the two cylinders are parallel and the cylinders are provided at each end with a common 'cover plate A A4 respectively. At the outer ends'of the cylinders next the cover a port A5 is provided which permits free v,communication between .the two cylinders providing a common combustion and oompression chamber at each end of the cylinders A A1, see Figs. 2 and 4.

The pistons B, B1, are arranged to reciprocate within the cylinder A and the pistons B2 B3 in the cylinder A1. All the four pistons, see Fig. 2, (the piston B is in section and the piston B3 part section) are rigidly secured byv bolts to the guide plates C. The guide C is made in two portions of channel section bolted together for convenience of assembly, the two parts forming a rectangular slide way within which the wing plates or blocks D slide and reciprocate. The side flanges C1 C1 of the channel guide C are c ut away at the centre forming a slot C2, see Fig. 1, to permit of the lateral reciprocation of the pistons upon the shaft E. The wing plates or blocks D are formed integrally with the shaft E. The wing plates D are provided. with lighter extensions of same D1 at each end rigidly bolted to the wing plates D to prolong the working or sliding surfaces. When the pistons are at midstroke as in'Fig. el, the shaft wing plate extensions D1 extend into oneof the clearance spaces Fy provided, fitted with disc cover plates D2 bolted to the sides of the cylinders.

VReferringto Figs. l and 3, the shaft E is mountedy to rotate in bearings E1 (Fig. l) which are fitted eecentrically in the discs or eccentric sheaves G, G1. The discs or eccentric sheaves G, G1, aresupported by and rigidly bolted to the standards or pedestals 111, H1. VThe standard H has the eccentric sheave G clamped thereto by means of a tube or short stationary shaft G2 to the outer end of which G8 the carburetter or other fuel supplying means may be connected. The standard H1 has the eccentric sheave G1 bolted thereto by a lug G4.

The shoulders 1, 11, integrally formed with the two cylinders have secured inside same by screws or bolts the sleeves J which surround the exterior of the discs or sheaves G, G1, and are an rotating fit thereon. 1n this manner the two cylinders rotate upon the dises or eccentric sheaves G, G1, and by the rotation of the cylinders the pistons B, B1, B2, B3, by means of the channel guides C fitting the block or Vwing plates D which are formed integrally with the shaft, rotate the shaft E and at the same speed as the cylinders.

lVhile therefore the pistons reciprocate in the cylinders during rotation, the guide plates slide and reciprocate upon the shaft wing plates or block, the stroke of all the pistons being equal to twice the distance between the shaft axis and the axial centre line of the two discs or sheaves G, G1.

Packing means are provided consisting of a single ring K, one such ring for each piston. The ring is fitted in a groove in the cylinder wall coincident with the inmost position of the piston stroke as in Fig. 2. Each ring is made of slightly less diameter, when free, than the piston, so that when fitted it shall press inwardly upon the piston.

Constructed as shown for an internal combustion engine, the preferred arrangement of valve and valve operating gear is as shown in the drawing, but it will be understood that other suitable valves and valve gear may be employed with the engine described herein.

The cylindrical valve casings L, L1, are secured to the cylinder covers A3, A4, respectively and the port L2 in each casing is always open to the common combustion chambei' at theV end of each pair of cylinders. The construction and operation at each end is similar.

Each cylindrical valve casing has in addition to the said port L2 two other ports both relatively long and narrow, the'one L3 for inlet, the other L4 for exhaust.

lVithin the cylindrical valve casing L the oscillating cylindrical valve M is fitted (and in describing the one valve the description applies to the other). The valve M may be split longitiulinally in the centre line of the port W1 cut therein, and the valve is preferably made of slightly larger-diameter than the casing so that it may spring outwardly therein and fit the casing more closely to prevent leakage of gases. Theport M1 is of suliicient width to be always open to the port L2 in the casing during the oscillation of the valve so that the Vcylindrical.interior of the valve is always in communicationwith the combustion chamber in the cylinders. The

port M2 is oscillated to register with the inlet port L3 of the casing during the suction stroke and to register with the exhaust port L4 of the casing during the exhaust stroke as shown in the valve casing L1 on the lower side of Fig. 1. At the commencement of the compression stroke the port M2 is moved to the midway position between the inlet and exhaust ports and'retained there during the compression and explosion strokes as shown in the valve casing L on theupper side of Fig. 1.

The sleeve ring N is rotatively fitted upon the exterior of the sleeve J which is secured to the cylinders. The ring N is provided with the internal teeth Nl on its outer edge, which internal teeth gear with the external teeth of the spur wheel O which is secured by a key and the nut O1 to the shaft E. The ring N has integrally formed therewith the cam disc P. The cam discA P is provided with two cam grooves P1 and P2. The rollers of theslide rods Q., Q, engage in the cam grooves P1., P2. The slide rods Q operate similarly. Each has the fork Q1 at its other end carrying the pin Q2 which engages in the slotted fork in one arm of the oscillating lever R which is fulcrumed at R1 on the bracket R2 secured to the cylinders. The other end of the lever R engages ,in the slot of the fork S which is secured in the rot-ary valve M, a slot S1 being formed in the wall of the valve casing to permit of the oscillating of the fork S. The cam grooves are of such form as shown in Fig, 3, that the valves are oscillated by means of their slide rods and oscillating levers to open the exhaust port during the exhaust stroke, the inlet port during the inductionstroke, and to retain eachvalve in the closed position as shown in the valve casing L, Fig. 1, during the compression and working strokes in each pair of cylinders. The valve in the valve casing L1 at the lower end of Fig. 1, is shown with its fork in the extreme position at one end of its stroke in the casing slot S1, and the combustion products exhausting through the valve into the exhaust receiver T. This exhaust receiver is constructed as an annular chamber surrounding the engine as shown in transverse section in Figs. 1 and 5, in central plane section in Fig. 2, and in elevat-ion in Figs. 3 and 4L. The'stationary portion T1 of the annular chamber T is supported on the same base plate as that on which the standards H, H1, are secured. The inner annular wall T2'of the chamber T is secured to and rotates with the valve casings L, L1; it is further supported by the carriers U projecting from each side of the cylinders (see Figs. 2, 3 and t). The annular rotating portion T2 of the chamber Tl is provided with twoor more annular fins T3, (two are shown) which loosely intermesh with corresponding lins of which three are shown secured to the stationary portion of the exhaust receiver T1. An outlet from the receiver may be provided at T4.

The fuel supply means or carburetter is connected to the end G3 'of the tubular supply channel in the stationary support of the drum G' and thence to the inner chamber V. The mixture then passes through ports V1 of which one is shown in the section Fig. 1, formed in the drum or sheave G1. A plurality of corresponding ports, not shown, are formed in the sleeve J1 which during the rotation of the sleeve upon the drum successively register with the ports V1 and allow the passage therethrough of the mixture to the rotating annular chamber V2 to which the inlet pipes V2 are connected; the other end of the said pipes are connected to the inlet port L3 in the valve casing L.

The ignition plug is screwed in at XV. The charge therefore is ignited within the rotary valve M.

It must be understood that T do not claini anything contained in my application filed January 16, 1919, Serial No. 271,456 having the saine title as the present specification, and relating to an engine having` a somewhat similar method or principle of operation but in which there was not provided a cylinder nor al piston of the ordinary form.

lVhat do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Tn 'a rotary engine, the combination of a fixed drum having an eccentrically arranged shaft bearing, a pair of cylinders rigidly secured together in parallel relation supported upon said drum for rotation on an axis at right angles to thc longitudinal axes of the cylinders, reciprocating pistons in the cylinders, and a power shalt mounted for rotation in the eccentric bearing of the drum and a lateral slidingconnection bctween the power shaft and pistons.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination of a fixed drum having an eccentrically arranged shaft hearing therein, a. pair of cylinders rigidly secured together in parallel relation and supported upon the drum for rotation on an axis at right angles to the longitudinal axes of the cylinders, two reciprocating pistons in each cylinder, a power shaft mounted for rotation in the eccentric bearing of the drum, and a guide plate slid ably connected with the power shaft and to which the pistons are connected.

3. Tn a. rotary engine, the combination of a fixed drum having an eccentrically arranged shaft bearing therein. a pair of cylinders rigidly secured together in parallel relation and supported upon the drum for rotation on an axis at right angles to the longitudinal axes of the cylinders, two reciprocating pistons in each cylinder, a power shaft mounted for rotation in the eccentric bearing of the drum and provided with wing plates, a tubular siide slidable upon the said wing plates and to which the pistons are connected, said slide comprising channel members secured together and having slots at its sides for the power shaft.

Ll. In a rotary engine, the combination of a pair of spaced parallel fixed drums having eccentrically arranged shaft bearings therein in longitudinal alinement, a pair of cylinders rigidly secured together in parallel relation and provided with cylindrical beararranged centrally of the pair of cylinders at opposite sides thereof, said cylindrical bearings rotatably fitting upon the fixed drums, two pistons in each of the cylinders, all of the pistons being ycminected for reciprocation together in the cylinders, a power shaft mounted for rotation in the eccentric bearing of the tixed drums, and a sliding connection between the pistons and the power shaft. v A

5. In a rotary engine, the combination of a fixed drum having an eccentrica-ily arranged bearing shaft therein, a pair of cylinders rigidly secured together in parallel relation and supported upon the drum for rotation on an axis at right angles to the longitudinal axeslof the cylinders, two pistons in each of the cylinders, all of the pistons being connected for reciprocation together in the cylinders, a power shaft mounted for rotation inthe eccentric bearing of thc drum and operatively connected with the pistons, and means providing communication between adjacent ends of the cylinders.,

6. In a rotary engine, the combination of a fixed drum having an eccentrically arranged bearing shaft therein, a pair of cylinders rigidly secured together in parallel relation and supported upon the drum for rotation on an axis at right angles to the longitudinal axes of the cylinders, two pistons in each of the cylinders, all of the pistons being connected for reciprocation Ltogether in the cylinders, a power shaft mounted for rotation in theeccentric bearing of the'drum and operatively connected with the pistons, a pipeV connection between adjacent ends of the cylinders, fuel supply conduits leading to each of said pipe connections, and a regulating valve for each of said fuel supply conduits. Y

7. ln a rotary engine, the combination of a fixed drum having an eccentrically arranged shaft bearing, a pair of cylinders rigidly secured together in parallel rela-tion and supported upon said drum for rot-ation on an axis at right angles to the longitudinal axes of the cylinders, two pistonsV in each of the cylinders, all of the pistons being connectedV for reciprocation together in the cylinders, a power shaft mounted for rotation in the eccentric bearing of the fixed drum and operatively connected with the pistons, rotary valves on the pair of cylinders at opposite ends thereof, and valve operating mechanism including a cam disk rotatably mounted upon the fixed drum and provided with cam grooves at opposite sides thereof, a drive gear connection between the cam disk and the power shaft, and parts engaging the camgrooves and operatively connected with the rotary valves.

8. In a rotary engine, the combination of a fixed drum having an eccentrically arranged shaft bearing therein, a pair of cylinders rigidly secured together in `parallel relation and supported upon the drum for rotation on an axis at right angles to the longitudinal axes of the cylinders, reciprocating pistons within the cylinders, exhaust ports at the outer ends of the pair of cylinders, an annular exhaust chamber comprising a fixed part and a part Vsecured to the cylinders to rot-ate therewith and slidably fitting the fixed part, and a power shaft mounted for rotation in the cccentricbearing of the drum and operatively connected with the pistons.

JAMES REGNALD KEMP. 

